John O' The Side Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AB A A C D AE F A GHAI AJKJ ALA AMAN JLO PQD PCP PCN RCP ASJT PNJU CCA VCU JCA JSAW AAP ACAC XCPQ YCPC ACEC JCEC JZAZ TMA2V JJA PB2A A J ACA PCA APNP U A PCP CNP P CA CAAA TAX JJU PCP ACAC C2P JACA PJA

'He is weil kend Johne of the SydeA
A greater theif did never ryde 'B
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Sir Richard MaitlandA
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The Text is from the Percy Folio but is given in modernised spelling It lacks the beginning probably and one line in st which can be easily guessed but as a whole it is an infinitely fresher and better ballad than that inserted in the Minstrelsy of Sir Walter ScottA
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The Story is akin to that of Kinmont Willie p John of the Side on the river Liddel nearly opposite Mangerton first appears about in a list of freebooters against whom complaints were laid before the Bishop of Carlisle He was it seems another of the Armstrong familyC
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Hobby Noble has a ballad to himself as the hero of the present ballad deserves in which mention is made of Peter of Whitfield This is doubtless the person mentioned in the first line of John o' the Side as having been killed presumably by John himselfD
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Footnote Child No from Caw's Poetical Museum but notA
of sufficient merit to be included hereE
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'Culertun ' is Chollerton on the Tyne Percy suggests Challerton and in the ballads upon which Scott founded his version the name is 'Choler ford ' 'Howbrame wood' and 'Lord Clough' are not identified and Flanders files effective as they appear to be are not otherwise knownF
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'The ballad ' says Professor Child 'is one of the best in the world and enough to make a horse trooper of any young borderer had he lacked the impulse '-
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JOHN O' THE SIDEA
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Peter o' Whifield he hath slainG
And John o' Side he is ta'enH
And John is bound both hand and footA
And to the New castle he is goneI
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But tidings came to the Sybil o' the SideA
By the water side as she ranJ
She took her kirtle by the hemK
And fast she run to MangertonJ
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The lord was set down at his meatA
When these tidings she did him tellL
Never a morsel might he eatA
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But lords they wrung their fingers whiteA
Ladies did pull themselves by the hairM
Crying 'Alas and welladayA
For John o' the Side we shall never see moreN
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'But we'll go sell our droves of kineJ
And after them our oxen sellL
And after them our troops of sheepO
But we will loose him out of the New Castell '-
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But then bespake him Hobby NobleP
And spoke these words wondrous highQ
Says 'Give me five men to myselfD
And I'll fetch John o' the Side to thee '-
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'Yea thou'st have five Hobby NobleP
Of the best that are in this countryC
I'll give thee five thousand Hobby NobleP
That walk in Tyvidale truly '-
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'Nay I'll have but five ' says Hobby NobleP
'That shall walk away with meC
We will ride like no men of warN
But like poor badgers we will be '-
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They stuffed up all their bags with strawR
And their steeds barefoot must beC
'Come on my brethren ' says Hobby NobleP
'Come on your ways and go with me '-
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And when they came to Culerton fordA
The water was up they could it not goS
And then they were ware of a good old manJ
How his boy and he were at the ploughT
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'But stand you still ' says Hobby NobleP
'Stand you still here at this shoreN
And I will ride to yonder old manJ
And see where the gate it lies o'erU
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'But Christ you save father ' quoth heC
'Christ both you save and seeC
Where is the way over this fordA
For Christ's sake tell it me '-
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'But I have dwelled here three score yearV
So have I done three score and threeC
I never saw man nor horse go o'erU
Except it were a horse of tree '-
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'But fare thou well thou good old manJ
The devil in hell I leave with theeC
No better comfort here this nightA
Thou gives my brethren here and me '-
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But when he came to his brether againJ
And told this tidings full of woeS
And then they found a well good gateA
They might ride o'er by two and twoW
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And when they were come over the fordA
All safe gotten at the lastA
'Thanks be to God ' says Hobby NobleP
'The worst of our peril is past '-
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And then they came into Howbrame woodA
And there then they found a treeC
And cut it down then by the rootA
The length was thirty foot and threeC
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And four of them did take the plankX
As light as it had been a fleaC
And carried it to the New CastleP
Where as John o' Side did lieQ
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And some did climb up by the wallsY
And some did climb up by the treeC
Until they came up to the top of the castleP
Where John made his moan trulyC
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He said 'God be with thee Sybil o' the SideA
My own mother thou art ' quoth heC
'If thou knew this night I were hereE
A woe woman then wouldst thou beC
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'And fare you well Lord MangertonJ
And ever I say God be with theeC
For if you knew this night I were hereE
You would sell your land for to loose meC
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'And fare thou well Much Miller's sonJ
Much Miller's son I sayZ
Thou has been better at mirk midnightA
Than ever thou was at noon o' the dayZ
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'And fare thou well my good lord CloughT
Thou art thy father's son and heirM
Thou never saw him in all thy lifeA2
But with him durst thou break a spearV
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'We are brothers childer nine or tenJ
And sisters children ten or elevenJ
We never came to the field to fightA
But the worst of us was counted a man '-
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But then bespake him Hobby NobleP
And spake these words unto himB2
Says 'Sleepest thou wakest thou John o' the SideA
Or art thou this castle within '-
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'But who is there ' quoth John o' the SideA
'That knows my name so right and free '-
'I am a bastard brother of thineJ
This night I am comen for to loose thee '-
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'Now nay now nay ' quoth John o' the SideA
'It fears me sore that will not beC
For a peck of gold and silver ' John saidA
'In faith this night will not loose me '-
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But then bespake him Hobby NobleP
And till his brother thus said heC
Says 'Four shall take this matter in handA
And two shall tent our geldings free '-
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Four did break one door withoutA
Then John brake five himsel'P
But when they came to the iron doorN
It smote twelve upon the bellP
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'It fears me sore ' said Much the MillerU
'That here taken we all shall be '-
'But go away brethren ' said John o' the SideA
'For ever alas this will not be '-
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'But fie upon thee ' said Hobby NobleP
'Much the Miller fie upon theeC
It sore fears me ' said Hobby NobleP
'Man that thou wilt never be '-
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But then he had Flanders files two or theeC
And he filed down that iron doorN
And took John out of the New CastleP
And said 'Look thou never come here more '-
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When he had him forth of the New CastleP
'Away with me John thou shalt ride '-
But ever alas it could not beC
For John could neither sit nor strideA
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But then he had sheets two or threeC
And bound John's bolts fast to his feetA
And set him on a well good steedA
Himself on another by him setA
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Then Hobby Noble smiled and loughT
And spoke these words in mickle prideA
'Thou sits so finely on thy geldingX
That John thou rides like a bride '-
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And when they came thorough Howbrame townJ
John's horse there stumbled at a stoneJ
'Out and alas ' cried Much the MillerU
'John thou'll make us all be ta'en '-
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'But fie upon thee ' says Hobby NobleP
'Much the Miller fie on theeC
I know full well ' says Hobby NobleP
'Man that thou wilt never be '-
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And when they came into Howbrame woodA
He had Flanders files two or threeC
To file John's bolts beside his feetA
That he might ride more easilyC
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Says 'John now leap over a steed '-
And John then he lope over fiveC2
'I know well ' says Hobby NobleP
'John thy fellow is not alive '-
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Then he brought him home to MangertonJ
The lord then he was at his meatA
But when John o' the Side he there did seeC
For fain he could no more eatA
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He says 'Blest be thou Hobby NobleP
That ever thou wast man bornJ
Thou hast fetched us home good John o' the SideA
That was now clean from us gone '-

Frank Sidgwick



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